Through My Eyes
by jasonturnerdragonmaster
Summary: In absence of Naruto's parents, Naruto is raised by Minato's students.  They will teach him how to be a great ninja and a great man.  They will aid him in restoring his clan and achieving his dream.  Will be a Naruto/Hinata/Harem story.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other stories that I might reference slightly.

Summary: Naruto's father dies sealing the fox. His mother, Kushina Uzumaki, disappears amidst mysterious circumstances. It's up to the members of Minato's team to raise Naruto in their absence. The team includes Rin, Kakashi, and an OC, who joined the team after Obito died. Under their tutelage, Naruto and some others will grow into powerful ninja. They will help Naruto to restore his clan to prominence and reach his dream of becoming Hokage.

**Author's note: Thanks to one reader, I realized some flaws in the chapter. At first, I didn't get what he meant. After I thought about it for a while, I thought about several scenes I could have added in to give the story more detail and to clarify some things. I was already going to change to writing in third person, so I decided to do some rewriting to try to improve on it. I never expected any of the readers to be able to see inside my head, but I did think some things would be assumed. I guess I wasn't necessarily right. Anyway, I hope that this makes the story better than it was before. I've planned ahead, and I will write more chapters after the rewrites of the first two have been addressed.**

**There is a poll at the bottom. Votes will be counted by either review or private messages. If you have an opinion, please vote. I will explain my reasons for the poll at the bottom.**_

**Through My Eyes **

**Ch.1 Rough Night**

(Two weeks before the Kyubi attack: underground facility)

A young man stood before Danzo held from behind by two members of Root. "What do you want with me, you one-eyed asshole."

One of the Root members hit him in the head, "You will address Danzo-sama with respect."

The young man's face contorted in rage. "I'll do no such thing, you worthless piece of trash. I'll respect who I choose to respect, and I have no intentions of showing respect to some one-eyed old geezer, who orders his emotionless soldiers to kidnap me."

Danzo smiled a creepy smile at the boy, "You have a lot of fire boy. That is good. I will enjoy breaking you and turning you into a perfect weapon for my takeover of Konoha. The heir of the illustrious Hyuga Clan will be an incredible prize. We will first improve you through an experiment. Then, if you survive, you will be turned into the best member that Root has ever seen."

I snarled, "Listen to me Danzo. You better hope I don't survive, because, if I do, I swear I will kill you and every member of Root." He was silenced by a Root member, who put a needle into his neck knocking him out.

**One week later: underground facility**

'_Oh, where am I? Oh right, that bastard, Danzo, had some of his Root kidnap me. I'm going to kill him, if I ever get out of here. How long has it been anyway?' _The young man opened his eyes and looked around. _'I'm trapped in some kind of tank. This is a laboratory. What are they planning to do to me? Am I strong enough to survive it?'_

Danzo walked up to the tank, "Ah, you're finally awake I see. Good. That means we can start the experiment. Very soon you will have many more bloodlines than just you're Byakugan. After I rid you of pointless emotions, you will be invincible. Even your sensei, Minato Namikaze, will be no match for you.

The young man's eyes opened in fear. _'He intends to use me to overthrow Minato-sensei. No way. I'll never let him do it.'_

(Flashback: Three years ago)

The young man walked into the Hokage's office. "You wanted to see me, Hokage-sama."

The Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Saurutobi looked up from his paperwork, "It's good to see you Ryo. I'm glad you could come on such short notice."

Ryo smiled at the old Hokage, "No problem, Hokage-sama. What can I do for you?"

The old Hokage's smile turned into a frown, "Two days ago, we lost Obito Uchiha in a fight with Iwa." Ryo's eyes got wide as saucers.

"What about Rin? Is she okay," Ryo demanded.

The Sandaime looked at Ryo, "Yes, she's fine. However, she was captured by Iwa, during the mission. That's how Obito died. He and Kakashi went to rescue Rin. Obito died saving her from them. Right now, she's back at the Inuzuka Compound. She seems pretty shook up."

Ryo nodded, "I'm sorry to hear about Obito. He was one of the few Uchiha I liked. However, I sure am glad that Rin's okay"

"Now Ryo, the reason I called you here today is because you will be joining Minato's team, along with Rin and Kakashi. After all, you lost your teammates on that mission in rain country two months ago. Minato's team needs another member, and you need teammates. Besides, you respect Minato, as much as you do anyone, and you are already friends with Kakashi and Rin. It is a win-win situation."

Ryo smiled, "I accept the transfer Hokage-sama."

"That's good to hear, Ryo. I knew that you would." Ryo turned to see a blonde-haired man step out of the next room. "We're really going to have a great team now. You and Kakashi will make a powerful combination, and Rin is becoming quite the medic."

"You haven't changed at all have you, Minato-sensei."

"Changed? Where would the fun in that be?" The three shared a laugh.

(Flashback end)

'_Danzo, I'll never forgive you for this.'_

"Hahaha, you have no say in the matter my young friend. I can't wait to see the looks on Minato's and Hiashi's faces, when you are the one to destroy them." He turned to a scientist in the room, "Alright, time to begin. Commence the experiment."

"Yes sir, I will begin right away, Danzo-sama."

The researcher turned from the old warhawk and pulled a lever on a console beside the tank that has become my prison. Two mechanical arms began reaching inside the tank towards the young man's body. One of the arms held a syringe. The other carries a tray with several other syringes in them. _'That must be the genetic material that's theoretically is supposed to give me these bloodlines or whatever, but someone can't survive such a thing can they. It's coming toward me. What can I do?' _The first arm stuck the needle into the young man's arm, and then there was incomparable pain. _'This hurts ten times worse than I thought it would. How am I going to survive this? I've got to survive somehow. Danzo has to pay.' _The y

(Inside my mindscape)

Ryo came to in a beautiful field of flowers. _'Is this heaven? No, it can't be. I can still feel the pain, just not as much as before. Could someone have rescued me? No, that's just too good to be true_. Ryo was brought out of his thoughts by a loud voice.

"**Welcome mortal." **Ryo looked around, _'Where is that voice coming from?' _He tried to keep himself calm and think things through, _'Am I having a nightmare?' _The owner of the voice must have at least guessed what I was thinking, because he chose then to speak again.

"**Relax mortal. You are not dead. You are not dreaming. Your physical body has not moved. We are inside of your mindscape."**

'_My mindscape,' _Ryo thought. He finally found his voice and chose to speak. "Who are you? Where are you?"

"**I believe it is common courtesy to give your name before asking for someone else's."**

He shook his head at the statement. Of all the time to think about courtesy, now was not the time. He wanted to get to the bottom of this, so he answered him, despite his reservations. "My name is Ryo Hyuga. Now show yourself."

A huge roar split the air, and Ryo looked up to see a huge blue dragon descending from the sky with ten tails swaying behind him in the wind. The view was breathtaking and frightening at the same time, but Ryo stood his ground. The dragon looked at him with appraising eyes.

"**It is nice to meet you Ryo from the noble Hyuga clan. I am Seiryu, the ten-tailed dragon. Tell me Ryo, do you have any idea what has been done to you?"**

He thought about it for a moment before answering. "I have been kidnapped by Danzo's Root, and used in some horrifying experiment." The dragon chuckled at the venom in Ryo's voice, when he mentioned Danzo.

"**Danzo is an evil man. His experiments go against nature. It gets worse Ryo." **My face showed a look of confusion. **"He is conspiring with Orochimaru as well."**

"You mean that snake bastard." 

Seiryu nodded, **"He has given you a curse seal."**

'_What's does he mean curse seal?' _

Seiryu realized what Ryo was thinking, **"It is a black mark on your neck. It has weakened your body."**

"I thought Orochimaru was gone. How did he get back into the village to help Danzo, with this?"

"**I do not know how he got back inside, but I can show you that he is indeed here."**

Seiryu sent a vision to Ryo's eyes. It was the laboratory that Ryo is in. Leaning against the wall was a pale-skinned man, with long black hair. _'Orochimaru is really here. He's watching his sick handiwork. If I survive this, I'll skin you alive, you cursed snake.'_

"Kukuku, thisis so amusing. If he survives, he'll be the perfect tool," Orochimaru said.

"Yes, he will be perfect. Thank you for your assistance, Orochimaru," Danzo said.

The snake Sanin smiled a crooked smile, "It was no trouble at all. It gave me a chance to make another test on my curse seal, and its one more opportunity for our genetic research. If it's successful, I'll be able to replicate the process."

The two evil men laughed at their supposed acts of genius. Inside Ryo's mindscape, Ryo was seething. "I don't know when. I don't know how, but someday they will both pay."

"**Between the seal and the experiment, you most likely will not survive the process my young friend, not without help anyway."**

Ryo's eyes widened at the last part. "Are you offering help?"

"**If you allow me to seal myself inside you, you will be able to survive. You will also have incredible power. My question for you is what will you do with all that power?" **The dragon eyed Ryo carefully awaiting his answer. He didn't have to wait long.

"Seiryu, I am generally not a vengeful person, but what Danzo and Orochimaru have done to me is unforgivable. I will punish them for what they have done to me. However, my greatest wish is to protect the village and those that are important to me. I have wanted to do the right thing all my life, and to use the power any other way would be wrong."

"**Very well, it seems I have chosen a good master. The process will take about ten minutes. After that, I will begin healing your wounds and making adjustments to your genetic structure, so that you can survive the experiment. Be patient. Our chance to escape will come."**

I nodded before leaving my mindscape.

(Inside Ryo's Mindscape: Three days later)

"**Ryo, we have much to talk about."**

Ryo opened his eyes to look at Seiryu, "As long as it involved making preparations to get out of here, I'm all ears."

The great dragon smiled, **"Indeed it does my young friend, but first, I have a question for you. How good are you with elemental chakra?"**

Ryo smirked, "I was born with all five elemental chakras naturally in my body. It's not a bloodline or anything. I was just really blessed in that area. Why do you ask?"

The great dragon shared Ryo's smirk, **"That is good news indeed. Then this should be fairly easy for you. Danzo has made the mistake of giving you access to all of the sub elements. We must make him pay for that, don't you think?"**

Ryo's smirk grew even bigger, "What exactly did you have in mind?"

"**I will be teaching you some jutsu for them here in your mindscape. When the time comes, we will make this place go up. I have one more thing to talk to you about though, before we start. In the process of healing you, I had to make your body age a bit to its prime. However, you won't age anymore. Now how would you like to get a little payback on Orochimaru, while we're at it? It will only be in a subtle way for now, but it will still anger him."**

"What did you have in mind exactly?"

"**Well, I have done something that Orochimaru himself could not do. I have perfected the seal. Furthermore, I have purified to make it safe for you to use. You will need training to use my chakra, but you should be able to use the second form of the curse seal easily enough."**

Ryo smiled, and they began working on new jutsu.

(Four days later: The night of the Kyubi attack)

'_I've hearing some of Danzo's people talking about a Nine-tailed Fox. I hope the damage isn't too severe, but it's causing enough commotion to leave me an opening to get out of here,' _Ryo thought.

(Inside Ryo's Mindscape)

"Hey Seiryu, we've waited long enough. We've got to escape,"

"**I agree. It is time to get out of here."**

My eyes glinted at that, and I just had to ask. "After the changes to my body and the time spent in this tank, how well will my body respond?"

"**You won't have to worry about that. I have been slipping just enough of my chakra to all your limbs and the joints of your body to keep them limbered up. You should be able to move like you normally would. Also, you have shown great control over the seal. We should have no trouble getting out of here."**

"Is there anything else I need to know, before we do this?"

"**Yes, there is something on your forehead that I cannot identify. You should look in a mirror as soon as you're out of the tank."**

(Back in the lab)

The scientist that had conducted the experiments, under Danzo's supervision, walked into the room. He was checking the consoles on the other side of the room. Ryo decided to pretend that he was still asleep. He waited for the man to walk over to the tank. He was so distracted checking the consoles in front of the tank that he didn't notice Ryo's transformation. _'That will be his final mistake,' _Ryo thought. When Ryo completed the transformation, he pumped some chakra into his right arm and smashed it right through the tank grabbing the scientist by the throat. He squeezed with all his might, and the scientist's neck snapped in seconds. Ten seconds later, Ryo was out of the tank. Unfortunately, he was completely naked. His first impulse was to find some clothes, but that all left him for a moment, when he saw his reflection in the mirror. In his stage two form, his skin is jet black. His eyes are red, and he has a third eye on his forehead. Last but not least, he has wings on his back, and they look like they are made of black flames. Ryo stared at his eyes, noticing three black tomoe in each. _'Wait that means I have the Sharingan now. What does that mean for my Byakugan?' _Ryo focused on his Byakugan, and his eyes took the desired form. He breathed a little easier. He finally snapped out of his examination and went back to looking for clothes. He found some clothes in some lockers in the corner. He dressed quickly and grabbed the weapons he found in one of the lockers.

He rushed out the door with a katana in his hand. Ryo saw the first Root member, before the Root member saw him. He slashed with his katana right across his throat. The Root member fell to the ground dead in seconds. _'I would think that my body would be slower from being stuck in that tank, but I'm faster than ever by far,' _Ryo thought, _'It must be the mother of all adrenaline rushes. I may feel like crap, when it's over, but, if I get out of this hellhole laboratory, I won't really care.' _ Ryo began to rush through the compound killing everyone without a sound. He took a pack from one of the Root members and put all the research notes he could find in it. With a little effort, he finally found Danzo's office.

"Hello Danzo," Ryo said as he stepped through the door. For a moment, Danzo looked at Ryo like Ryo was his greatest creation. That left in a hurry, when Ryo spoke next. "Stop staring at me like that you old warhawk bastard." When Ryo said that, Danzo knew he was in trouble. "I killed every single member of Root, and now it's your turn." To Danzo's eyes, Ryo seemed to blur out of existence. In the next second, Ryo was behind him, with his sensei's Rasengan in his hand.

(Flashback: Two years ago: the Namikaze Compound)

Ryo Hyuga walked through the huge gates of the Namikaze Compound. He frequently came to visit his sensei, so this was not an unusual occurrence. However, today was different. Minato had called him here for some reason.

Minato walked out of the house to greet his apprentice, "Hello Ryo, how are you today?"

Ryo smiled, "I'm doing well sensei, but I am wondering why you called me here."

Minato smirked, "Well, I have come to a decision. I have decided that you are ready to learn my personal technique the Rasengan. To tell the truth, it isn't even finished yet, but it's still pretty powerful."

"I see. It took you quite a while to create this, didn't it," Ryo stated. Minato simply nodded his head. "Then we better get started. After all, it'll probably take a while."

(Flashback end)

Ryo slammed his Rasengan right into Danzo's chest. He followed it up by cutting Danzo's head off just to be sure he was dead. Then Ryo sealed Danzo's head and body inside a storage scroll, ransacked his office for anything of value, and left.

When Ryo got outside, he started doing hand seals at a very fast pace. **Lava release: Volcanic Geyser. **A huge geyser of magma erupted from the laboratory engulfing it in flames and magma. Ryo smiled for a moment and stopped to take a breath. He had just shut down an organization that the last two Hokages have tried to destroy. After that, he set off a destructive jutsu to make sure no one could find anything that he missed to use for evil. As he was trying to catch his breath for a moment, he heard the roar of the Nine-tailed Fox. To tell the truth, he was exhausted, but he had to try to help save his village.

He took to the air, flying as fast as he could, despite the horrible pounding in his head. He flew toward the loud roaring of the fox. _'Hey Seiryu, do you think you can slip me a little of your chakra? I'm in need of a recharge, and my head is killing me.'_

'_**Yes, just give me a moment. I will restore your reserves and heal your pains. Just keep going. You must reach your sensei.'**_

'_Hey, try to give me a little extra, if you can. I have a feeling this is going to be a long night.'_

Ryo stared off into the distance and saw the huge fox coming toward the village and the ninja trying to stop it. Then he saw the Yondaime on top of Gamabunta heading straight for the fox. He flew as fast as he could and landed beside him.

"Minato sensei, are you alright?"

The Hokage turned and looked at him. "Ryo, is that really you?"

Ryo realized he was still in his transformed state and changed back to normal allowing the chakra of the seal to fade back inside. The Hokage smiled at him and said, "Ryo, you still got a third eye on your forehead, but it's still good to see you."

Ryo looked stunned, "You think it's funny, sensei. Everyone's going to look at me like I'm weird." Ryo was a little mad.

Minato laughed, "Some people thought you had died on a mission. Others thought you had gone rogue."

Ryo visibly paled for a few seconds at Minato's statement. "It was Danzo. He kidnapped me and used me as a guinea pig in his experiments. That's why I look like this, but I killed him. He'll never do it to anyone else."

Minato nodded his head in understanding. "I knew something must have happened to you. I didn't let them put you in the bingo book." Ryo breathed a sigh of relief. Then he turned to face the oncoming fox.

"What's your plan Minato-sensei?"

Minato faced Ryo, with the saddest expression he'd ever seen. Minato held up a newborn baby. "Sensei is that-"He answered before the thought could even be finished.

"Yes, this is my son, Naruto." Ryo smiled at the child. _'Sensei and Kushina-chan finally had a child.' _However, Ryo's face lost all its color, after what he said next. "I'm going to use the Reaper Death Seal to seal the fox inside my son."

"Sensei, isn't there some other way? You will die from using that jutsu. Why does it have to be your son?" Ryo screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Ryo, think about it. How can I ask some other parent to make a sacrifice that I, the Hokage, am not willing to make?" The truth of his words dawned on Ryo's face. "Ryo, I have something to tell you. You have been like a son to me. You, Kakashi, and Rin were wonderful students. I am so proud of everything you have accomplished in your young lives. Now, I have something great to ask of you. I need the three of you to look after Naruto and Kushina. My hope is that my son will be seen as a hero, but there will likely be some fools, who will not see reason. Protect my wife and son from them, please."

Ryo looked at the man that he respected the most, the man he saw as a second father, and saw how difficult it was for him to ask this. "Minato-sensei, I am proud to be your apprentice. I will take everything you taught me and make you proud. I swear Kakashi, Rin, and I will do everything in our power to protect your wife and child."

"Thank you, Ryo. As soon as it's over, get Naruto to Saurutobi as soon as possible. I have called him out of retirement, because I have no other successor I can trust." Ryo simply nodded, since he couldn't trust his voice at the moment. The Yondaime went into a complex series of hand seals and triggered the jutsu. The fox started to glow, and it was slowly drawn into the baby. When the sealing was completed, Minato's body started to fall, but Ryo caught him and his son. "Gamabunta, help me get them back to the village gate before the other ninja get here."

"**Of course, we will be there shortly." **The chief toad took two huge leaps, and we were at the village. "Thank you, Bunta." The chief toad bowed and returned to the summon realm. When he entered the gates carrying the child, with a clone carrying Minato's body, Hiruzen Saurutobi, along with my teammates Kakashi and Rin, were waiting for him. Ryo held one hand over the third eye and held little Naruto in the other. He gave the baby to Rin. "Rin, go with Saurutobi-sensei to the Hokage's office. Kakashi and I will take Minato-sensei's body to the hospital, so it can be prepared for burial. Then we will meet you there." They all nodded and went their separate ways.

An hour later, Kakashi, Rin, and Ryo stood in the office of the newly reinstated Sandaime Hokage. Ryo had gone home to find a headband to cover the third eye, and he stood in front of the Sandaime in a black muscle shirt, black jeans, black combat boots, and a long black leather coat. He had his leaf headband around his waist like a belt and wore a plain black headband around his forehead. He also wore a pair of sunglasses over his eyes, not wanting to discuss with the counsel what had happened to me yet. Saurutobi-sensei sat there taking a few puffs from his pipe trying to get himself in the mindset to deal with business.

"First of all, it's good to have you back Ryo, although you look older than you should." he stated.

"I will explain later, but can we overlook it for now?" Ryo responded. The old Hokage gave him a look of understanding and let it drop for the moment. Saurutobi's face turned grim as he looked at the child in Rin's arms. Ryo's anger started to flare as he thought about what some of those fools on the counsel would say.

"We are going to have to face the counsel about this." He was clearly dreading it as much as they were.

Ryo took a deep breath before speaking. "Saurutobi-sensei, I'm not going to lie to you. That child may contain the Nine-tailed Fox, but he is still sensei's son first and foremost. If any of them threaten him, I will kill them. I was there with Minato-sensei in his final moments. It will stand as my everlasting shame that I could not save Minato-sensei. I know you'll think I'm crazy for saying this, but I could have at least driven the thing off, if I was fresh. But I had to fight my way through the Root members and Danzo and fly all the way there. By the time I reached him, I was feeling pretty fatigued. Since I could not save his life, I will honor his final request."

The old Hokage smiled and Ryo continued, "Oh, before I forget, here's all the evidence I gathered from Danzo's hideout." He pulled a scroll out of his pocket and handed it to the Hokage. "I don't know what all's in there. I just grabbed everything that looked valuable. Honestly, I suspect the civilian council and advisors are involved, but I can't prove it."

As Ryo watched the Sandaime look through it quickly, he had a thought. "Saurutobi-sensei, we have to tell the council that Naruto is Minato-sensei's son. I know you're worried about his enemies, like Iwa, but I'll tell you right now. Kakashi, Rin, and I will protect him with our lives. In fact, I'll wipe Iwa off the map, if I have to. He will be raised as Naruto Namikaze." The Hokage looked at the determination on Ryo's face and nodded his head in agreement.

(Ten minutes later: inside the council room)

Kakashi, Rin, and Ryo followed Saurutobi into the counsel chambers. Saurutobi sat in the Hokage's chair. Rin stood behind him holding Naruto. Kakashi and Ryo stood on each side of him waiting anxiously. _'I hope this goes well. I know I can kill those stupid civilians and those old geezers, if it comes to that, but I can't fight all of the clan heads,' _Ryo thought.

The Sandaime spoke first. "The first order of business is to announce that the Yondaime is dead. He has chosen me to retake the position of Hokage. For now, there is no other, so I accept."

Most of the counsel members merely shook their heads in acceptance. One civilian member spoke up. "Hokage-sama, what is that child doing here, and where is Danzo?"

"The question of the child will be addressed in a little while. There is one more issue to deal with first. It is the answer to your second question. To answer it, Danzo is dead." Everyone in the room wore looks of shock on their faces.

"Was he killed by the Kyubi?" someone shouted.

"**No, he was not." **Ryo shouted at the top of his lungs in a slightly demonic voice that got everyone's attention. He stared at the council member, wishing he could bore a hole in his head.

Once everyone got quiet, the Hokage continued speaking. "He is right. Danzo was not killed by the Kyubi. He was guilty of treason. His victim killed him during his escape."

"Where is this man? We must execute him for killing Danzo." One of the civilian members stated.

The killing intent leaking off the Hokage made the man fall to the ground in fear. "We will do no such thing. Let me repeat it. Danzo was guilty of treason. He would be executed, if he was still alive."

"Hokage-sama, what exactly was he guilty of, if you don't mind me asking?" said the female advisor, Koharu.

"He was guilty of kidnapping a clan heir, human experimentation, conspiring with Orochimaru, among other things." Most of the council members just nodded.

The Hokage took a deep breath before continuing. "The child behind me in Rin's hands has the Kyubi sealed inside of him."

Ryo saw the shock on their faces, as well as hatred on some and decided to speak up before it got out of hand. "More importantly, that baby is Minato-sensei's son. His name is Naruto Namikaze. Before any of you ask it or even think it, the boy is the Kyubi's prison, not the Kyubi itself. Before you ask, Minato-sensei was a seal master. He would make a seal, where Naruto could access the Kyubi's chakra, but I know he would never make a seal, where the Kyubi could take over the boy. As his apprentice, he taught me too well to doubt him now." The clan heads seemed to breathe collective sighs of relief, but the civilian council only scowled.

"We should kill that demon now." one of the council members said.

Ryo turned to the council member, and started walking toward him slowly but surely. He kept going until he was right in the man's face. Ryo glared at him and said, "Now you listen here you piece of trash. I do not answer to you, and **I will kill anyone, who tries to harm sensei's son."**

'_I hope that was enough to scare them, because I'm actually quite tired.'_

"Well, what proof do you have that it really is Minato's son?" Another member said.

The Hokage chose to answer this time. "That's a reasonable question. I have a copy of his birth certificate right here signed by Minato himself." He passed it around the clan heads, who nodded that it was real. "You'll forgive me, but I don't trust the rest of you. Ryo here will bring it around."

Ryo smiled, "You can look, but don't touch." Ryo took the certificate around, so everyone could see it.

"As you can see, it is all quite legitimate. There will be No killing this child. Thank you Ryo," the Hokage said. Ryo simply nodded in response. Despite his fatigue, Ryo knew that he had to hold it together, because there would be one more meeting tonight. "Rin, would you and Kakashi take Naruto to his mother please?" They just nodded and disappeared in a poof of smoke.

"All right everyone. You are not to tell anyone about the Kyubi. As of now, it is a law carrying the death penalty. Now go see to your families, except for you Hiashi. Could you please come to my office for a few moments?" Hiashi simply nodded and followed the Hokage and me out.

(Five minutes later in the Hokage's office)

The Hokage put up a privacy seal before beginning. Hiashi looked at Ryo with a look of confusion and shock. He was the first to break the silence. "Is that really you, Ryo?"

"Yes, it is. I know I've been gone for a couple of weeks, and I know I look different, but it really is me." Ryo's stomach was churning, as he spoke. "I know this is going to be a lot to take in, but I need you to know. I was kidnapped by Danzo's Root. I was imprisoned in a tank and used for his experiments. I would have died, if not for Seiryu."

This caught their attention. "Who is Seiryu?" Ryo feared what his father's reaction would be, but he knew he had to tell him.

"Seiryu is the ten-tailed blue dragon. He is now sealed in me. That's what I meant, when I said I could have driven off the Kyubi, if I had been fresh. Anyway, the experiments included introducing foreign DNA from famous ninjas into my bloodstream."

Hiashi's face contorted in rage. The truth is he's nothing like the mask he puts on. "What sort of DNA? Do you even know?"

Ryo thought for a moment. "I know it included all four Hokages and the founder of the Uchiha Clan, Madara Uchiha. I have no idea how he could have acquired all the rare DNA samples. All I know is that the results are obvious, at least in the case of Madara Uchiha's DNA."

Hiashi looked on in shock as Ryo removed his sunglasses revealing his fully developed Sharingan. For a moment, he wasn't sure how his father would take it. After a few moments, Hiashi seemed to collect himself enough to ask, "What about your-"Ryo cut him off realizing what he wanted to know. "You want to know if my Byakugan is intact." Ryo sent his chakra to his eyes causing them to turn white and the veins under his eyes to bulge. Hiashi's face held a look of relief but also some weariness.

"Thank God. I am glad the family bloodline is still with you." He paused contemplating for a moment. "Ryo, I'm going to have to do something that I don't want to do." Ryo looked at Hiashi's face trying to read him, but he couldn't. After composing himself, Ryo nodded for him to go on. "I want you to know that I am proud of you my son. You have accomplished much in your young life, although you look like you have aged a bit."

"That's because I am approximately twenty-five years old physically. Seiryu had to age my body to handle the strain all of my new abilities place on my body. I can't use all of them yet, but he did teach me enough to escape that hellhole laboratory. Anyway, I won't age anymore." Ryo didn't want to tell them that, but he knew that he had to.

"Even more reason to go through with my plan. Ryo, I'm going to be straight with you. I fear what the Hyuga elders would try to do to you, if they find out. They might try to kill you. The only thing I can think of to do for you is to fake your death, son. By doing so, it puts you out of the clan's control and gives you your freedom. It also gives you the right to defend yourself, if need be. I also know that you want to help Kushina protect Naruto. This will make it easier. To be blunt, I will not allow the elders to put the Caged Bird Seal on my own son."

"I understand. I'll go along with it." Hiashi nodded.

"I also want you to hold onto this." Hiashi handed him a small scroll.

"What is it?" Ryo pondered.

"It is a betrothal contract, for Naruto Namikaze and your new little sister, Hinata. It is something agreed upon by your mother and me, along with Minato and Kushina. I am entrusting her to the Namikaze Clan."

"You do realize that Naruto is the last Namikaze. He will fall under the CRA. Will that effect your decision?" Ryo was trying to figure his father out. Ryo knew his father was trying to correct the Hyuga Clan, but he was very afraid of what the elders would try to do to his children.

"I am aware of all of that, and I understand. I need you to protect that scroll, because it is the only record of that agreement." Ryo thought it over for a few minutes and decided that there is no one he would rather trust his little sister to than his sensei's son. Ryo nodded in response and remained silent. He knew that this is part of a proverbial chess game, with the village as the board. "I must go now and make all the arrangements. I will be back shortly." Hiashi left the room and silence fell for a few moments as the stressfulness of the night's events started to take its toll on us. The Hokage sat quietly in his chair, while Ryo slumped on the couch at the side of the room, finally starting to give in to the physical and mental fatigue that he felt. He knew that his father is right. The Hyuga elders hate the Uchiha Clan. If they find out that he has the Sharingan, he knew they would try to have him killed. He was depressed that he has to leave his family at a time like this, but, at least, his father gave him the means to get his baby sister out of that place, if things turned bad.

The Hokage decided the silence had lasted long enough. "Ryo, are you alright?" '_How touching, after everything that has happened on this October 10__th__, he's still finding time to worry about me. It's no wonder that he's a great leader,' _Ryo thought.

"No, I'm not okay, but I will be. In fact, I swear two oaths this night. I swear that I will protect sensei's family. I also swear that I will not allow anyone to use the CRA to gain power for themselves, by marrying into the Namikaze Clan. Everyone that Naruto marries will be someone he loves." Ryo's face showed his determination, and he steeled himself for what would happen.

"For what it's worth, I am sorry that this has happened to you. If we had watched Danzo more carefully, it could have been prevented."

Ryo was stunned. Did the Hokage really think he was to blame? "Listen Saurutobi-sensei. This is in no way your fault. Was it unfortunate? Yes, it was, but it still happened. I want to make something valuable out of it and not just think on the pain. It was a painful experience, and I still feel like I'm rushing to catch up with both the changes in my body and mind. But I know one thing. I'm much stronger now. I now have the ability to protect Kushina and Naruto. So that's what I'm going to focus on. If I don't, then it's like Danzo won, and I refuse to allow him that satisfaction."

The old Hokage smiled at him. "I'm proud of you Ryo. You've have found treasure, where others would have found only hatred and pain. You're becoming a man, and you will be an even greater asset to the village." The two sat in comfortable silence until Hiashi, Hitomi, and Hizashi walked in. "Hiashi, welcome back. Welcome Hizashi." The Hokage turned to Hitomi. "It's good to see you Hitomi. I only wish that it were under more pleasant circumstances."

She turned to look at Ryo. Ryo froze under her gaze of sadness and despair. He could tell that she'd been crying. "Hey Mother, it's good to see you again. I really wish the circumstances were better." She rushed over to him and hugged her son, sobbing into his chest. He held his mother until she stopped crying. She looked up at him, examining his face.

"Can you take off your shades, please?" Ryo sighed and complied with her simple request. She smiled at him. "You've grown so handsome my son. The girls aren't going to leave you alone."

Ryo laughed, "Mother, this is hardly the time to be discussing something like that. Under normal circumstances, it should have been several more years down the road."

She smirked at him, "Nonsense, you are already an established jonin, with a great service record. It's okay to at least start thinking about it." He just shook his head at her and let it drop.

He turned to his uncle, Hizashi, "How are you doing Uncle? It's good to see you."

He smiled at him, "I'm glad that you're alright Ryo. We were worried about you. However, I guess it's not all good is it."

Ryo smiled back, "Its okay. Things have happened, and we can't go back and change them. We just have to roll with the punches. It's going to take some getting used to, but things will get better. I'll learn to adjust to my new self. I have new responsibilities, too. There's no time for moping around."

"You've grown up I see. I have every faith in you my nephew. Take care of yourself." Ryo nodded as both his mother and uncle exited the room.

"What name will you take now? You can't keep Hyuga, unfortunately."

Ryo turned to Hiashi, "From today on, I will be known as Ryo Yagami." Ryo smiled and turned toward the Hokage.

The Hokage took a puff from his pipe, then spoke, "Hiashi, have you taken care of everything?"

"Yes Hokage-sama. Every document speaking about Ryo Hyuga now says deceased. The death certificate states that Ryo Hyuga died in a mysterious explosion. His body was accounted for and properly cremated. I have even arranged for a marker to be placed in the cemetery, just to be safe." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sealing scroll. "Here are all your belongings, Ryo. Take care of yourself."

"I will, and thank you."

"Well done Hiashi. You are dismissed." Hiashi smiled at his son one more time and left.

"Well Hokage-sama, it's been a long night. I'm actually pretty tired, and I know you are too. I guess I'll go rent a room for the night and find me a place in the morning."

"Yes, you are dismissed."

Ryo turned to leave and barely missed running into Kakashi and Rin, as they rushed into the office. Rin was still holding Naruto. "Is something wrong, Kakashi?"

They took a moment to catch there breath before answering. "Both of you have to get to the hospital right away. Kushina's gone."

Ryo quickly snapped out of his stupor. "What do you mean Kushina's gone? The two of you were with her right?"

Rin was the one to respond this time. "Well you see. Kushina was kind of out of it, and little Naruto was hungry. We left to get something for him. When we came back 15 minutes later, she was gone. There was a little blood in the room, and her sword was still there."

Ryo rushed out of the room and started heading toward the hospital. He started to get his second wind, upon hearing of his sensei's wife's disappearance.

(Five minutes later: at the hospital)

Ryo burst into Kushina's hospital room followed closely by Kakashi, Rin and the Hokage. He looked around the room taking in the ransacked look. Just like Rin said, there was a little bit of blood by the window, which was busted out. Ryo could smell it just as soon as he entered the room. _'Hmm, my sense of smell has improved. I wonder why.'_ He turned to Kakashi, "Was it just like this when the two of you found it?"

Kakashi and Rin took a quick glance around the room and nodded.

Ryo turned his attention to Kushina's sword, which was still lying on the bed. _'Why would she leave her sword behind? I've never seen her without it. Something is wrong with this picture. Now, what is it? Oh, I know. It's the blood.' _He turned to the Hokage, "Hokage-sama, we should get one of the medic's to test this blood. It might not even be Kushina's. In fact, it probably isn't. See, there's way too little blood to indicate a struggle. In fact, the only blood is right here by the window. There is no more in the room and none outside. Furthermore, Kushina was probably too weak to struggle, at the moment anyway. Someone wants it to look like one, though. That leaves only two options. Either someone took advantage of her weakness to kidnap her for some reason, or someone woke her, while you both were out, and tricked her into leaving. However, if it's the second option, she would have had to have help. Do you agree, Hokage-sama?"

The Hokage looked around the room for a moment. "Yes my boy, your hypothesis seems to be correct based on the evidence." The Hokage snapped his fingers and two of his most trusted ANBU appeared. "Both of you see if you can find Kushina." They nodded to the Hokage and disappeared in a swirl of leaves. "Now then, we have two issues to be addressed. The first is Kushina's sword. It can't stay in this hospital room."

"But Hokage-sama, Kushina's sword is special. It won't allow anyone to touch it except its chosen wielder. It kills anyone else, and Kushina's gone."

The Hokage stared hard at me for a moment and then spoke, "Then we will have to find a new master that the sword will accept. I think it should be you, Ryo. Now listen, I know I'm asking a big thing of you, but think about this. You were Kushina's student, as well as Minato's. If the sword would accept anyone in the village, it would be you."

I stared at the Hokage. He was absolutely serious. I took a deep breathe and walked over to the sword.

(Flashback: Two and half years ago: Namikaze Compound)

Ryo had come to the compound, along with Kakashi and Rin, for their daily training session. "Ryo, you have shown yourself to a true prodigy. Furthermore, you are the right kind of prodigy. You do not rely on your natural gifts to always make you come out the winner. Instead, you build on those gifts by working hard. I'm very proud of you."

Ryo smiled, "I thank you, Minato-sensei. I'm really glad that you recognize that."

Minato smiled, "I have decided that you could get even better, if you learn some kenjutsu, and I have the perfect teacher."

At this, a woman with long red-hair walked out of the house. "Ryo, this is Kushina Uzumaki. She's my fiancé and one of the foremost experts on swordsmanship in the village."

'_Did he just say that she's his fiancée,' _Ryo thought. Getting over his shock, Ryo extended his hand to the woman and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kushina-sensei. I promise I'll train hard."

She smiled, "You're just as well mannered, as Minato-kun told me you were. I've watched some of your spars, with him too. I'm going to enjoy this."

(Flashback end)

"Alright, I don't really know how to do this, so I'm just going to go for it. I know you belong to Kushina, but she's gone. I'm going to need your help to protect her son, until I can find her. When I do, if you want to go back to her or if she wants you back, I will give you back to her without a thought." Ryo reached out for the handle of the sword. It started to flash, and he just stared unflinching. Then his body started to glow red for a few moments, and then it was over.

The Hokage chuckled quietly. "It seems you have been accepted by the sword. Well done. Now, we must move on to other matters. With Kushina gone, there's no one to look after Naruto. I guess I'll have to take him to the orphanage."

Ryo turned to him, "No Hokage-sama, the three of us will take care of Naruto, at least until Kushina is found."

Kakashi turned to me and spoke, "What are you talking about, Ryo? We can't do that."

"**SILENCE,"** Ryo shouted in a demonic voice. "Now listen, it's not about what we can or can't do Kakashi. It's about what we have to do. The three of us and the Hokage are all that that child has right now. Now, I know that the three of us are technically only fourteen. But, I've got three things to point out to you. Number one: when we first put on our headbands, we became adults in the eyes of the law. Furthermore, we're not some fresh out of the academy genin. We are all three jonin, so we have to act like it. Number Two: regardless of what my age is on paper, I'm physically twenty-five, and Seiryu is helping me reach the maturity and knowledge to match, by teaching me things that I need to know. When people look at the new me, all they will see is a man. Number three: despite the Hokage's law that says we can't talk about the Kyubi, those stupid civilian council members and those corrupt advisors will find a way to leak the information quietly. Hopefully, some will not care, but some will be hard-headed about this and refuse to listen. They will make attempts on the boy's life. That's why we have to do this. We are this child's only lifeline. Let me make one more point. The reason that we all take care of him together is because then we can all continue our ninja careers, and Naruto will have at least one of us at all times. On the rare chance that all three of us are out of the village at once, then the Hokage could watch him for a day or two. Is this acceptable to you, Hokage-sama?"

The Hokage looked at Ryo with new eyes. The Hokage understood that things had changed and that Ryo had rolled with it, instead of giving in to despair. "Very well Ryo, you may do as you wish. To be honest, I was hoping you would say that, but I had to test you to be sure."

"So where are we going to live," Rin asked.

The Hokage had the answer for them this time, "You will all move into the Namikaze estate, of course. After all, Minato made arrangements that stated if anything happened to Kushina and himself, that the three of you would be the caretakers of his estate, until Naruto came of age. Does that satisfy everyone?"

The three of young ninja looked at each other for a moment. "Yes Hokage-sama," they said together.

"Ryo, could you do one more thing for me?" He nodded for the Hokage to go on. "Could you allow one of the nurses to take a blood sample, before you go?"

"Yeah sure," He was too tired to argue anyway. A nurse came in and took the samples to test, and then all three left with Naruto.

They headed to the Namikaze estate. Knowing that his blood would match after the experiment, Ryo put a little blood on the seal, and the gate opened wide. Kakashi and Rin said they would watch the kid and let Ryo sleep, since he had had an even harder day than they had. He chose a room for himself, and he was asleep in seconds.

**Author's Note**

**First, I want to thank the individuals, who have reviewed this story. I believe that this version of chapter one is much better. Once again I ask for no flames, but I welcome constructive criticism.**

**After the rewrites of chapters one and two, there will be a lot more of Naruto in chapter three. He'll be a little older then, and Ryo, Kakashi, and Rin will be preparing him for the academy and such.**

**This will be a Naruto/Harem story, but I'm still tweaking the members. If you have an opinion, let me know. If enough people call for the same person, I will try to make it count. Several are locks already, but some are not entirely decided and could be filled with other characters, upon demand. **

**If you are a Sasuke fan, this is not the story for you. I like the Sharingan and the Chidori, but I hate Sasuke, no offense to those of you who do like him. He will be bashed heavily here. **

**Please no messages saying that I'm overpowering my OC or Naruto or anyone else.**

**Also, I want to point out that this will not be a crossover, with Yu Yu Hakkusho or anything else. Hiei is one of my all time favorite characters, so my OC having Hiei's Jagan is a tribute to him. Hiei will make a guest appearance at some point, maybe.**

**Now, it time for the poll. I'm unsure what to do with Sakura. I know that some people really like her, and some people really hate her. I'm kind of on the fence in between. On the one hand, I didn't like how she treated him, when they were young at all. There was no reason whatsoever to hit just because he asked her out. She could have done the honorable thing and just said no. On the other hand, she did make improvements in Shippuden. Like one guy said, he thought she should be in, if she was like she was in Shippuden. Anyway, I can't decide what to do with her. So I'm leaving her part in my story up to you the readers. Should she be in the harem, or just be his friend or surrogate sister? I don't really hate her enough to bash her all the way, unless the amount of readers calling for it was overwhelming. So, let me know what you think. **


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other stories that I might reference slightly.

Summary: Naruto's father dies sealing the fox. His mother, Kushina Uzumaki, disappears amidst mysterious circumstances. It's up to the members of Minato's team to raise Naruto in their absence. The team includes Rin, Kakashi, and an OC, who joined the team after Obito died. Under their tutelage, Naruto and some others will grow into powerful ninja. They will help Naruto to restore his clan to prominence and reach his dream of becoming Hokage.

Crystalized Snake: Thanks for asking good questions. It gave me someone to bounce my ideas off of and really gave me confidence.

GameDemonKing: Thanks for providing the names for Ryo's sword and his canine partner.

To everybody else, thanks for reading and thanks for the reviews to those that did.

**AN: Hey everybody, this is the rewrite of chapter two. I have some ideas to improve the chapter, and I hope you like it better, when it's over.**

**Also the poll is still up at the bottom.**

**Through My Eyes **

**Ch.2: After the Pain**

(The Next Morning: Namikaze Estate)

Ryo woke up the next morning feeling a little better, but things are still pretty rough. _'The three of us lost our sensei, and the village lost a great leader yesterday. However, the one, who lost the most, was Naruto. His father is dead. His mother is missing. His chances of living a normal life depend on the three of us and the Hokage to protect him from those, who would hurt him,' _Ryo thought, _'If I'm right, those stupid civilian council members and the two old elders will try something. I just don't know what.'_

Ryo got up and started getting ready for the day. He went into his bathroom and started the shower. The feel of the warm water flowing over his body gave him a feeling of rejuvenation. He went out and put on a clean copy of his black clothes from yesterday, grabbed his long black leather coat and walked out the door.

Kakashi was setting at the kitchen table waiting for Ryo, quietly sipping his coffee.

"Hey, how are you this morning Kakashi," Ryo said as he descended the stairs. Kakashi looked up and gave Ryo one of his eye smiles.

"I guess I'm about as good as can be expected all things considered," he said.

"Has there been any word this morning from the Hokage?" Ryo knew that the Hokage would want to talk to him some more today. He looked around the room and asked, "Oh, where are Naruto and Rin?"

"No, there hasn't been anyone by this early. To answer your second question, Rin and Naruto are still asleep."

Ryo turned his attention back to Kakashi, "Then why are you up this early?"

Kakashi looked at him for a moment deep in thought before responding, "You know, that was a noble thing you did yesterday, when you agreed that we would care for Naruto. I'm not sure Rin and I would have had the courage to do it on our own, but when I heard you make that speech, I knew you were right. It's something that only we can do. We're all the kid has in the world. Rin and I talked, after you went to bed. I'm going to apply to test to join ANBU in a few months, but I'll still be at home plenty to take my turn looking after the kid. Rin's going to put her career doing missions on hold and get a job at the hospital. Oh one more thing. You do know she's always liked you don't you Ryo?"

Ryo sighed, "I know that Kakashi, but I need a little time to get myself together right now. Besides, what are people going to say, if a twenty-five year old man is with a fourteen year old girl."

"You're not really twenty-five, though."

"I know that. You know that. Rin knows that. But the people out there don't know that. Furthermore, Ryo Hyuga has to fade from memory, and people have to get used to Ryo Yagami. If it makes you feel better, my feelings haven't changed either. But I've been through a trauma, and I'm just trying to recover at the moment. Honestly, I handled yesterday on anger, adrenaline, and the desire for self-preservation."

"That makes all you did yesterday even more impressive. That also brings up what I really wanted to talk to you about. You're my best friend, besides Obito, and he's gone, of course. I also know you were born with all five elemental affinities naturally, which is exceptionally rare, and I know you have the Sharingan now. I would like to teach you my personal jutsu, the Raikiri. With your talent, you can probably get it down this morning before Rin and Naruto wake up."

Ryo smiled, "I would be honored. Let's head out to the training grounds in the back." He eye-smiled, the two jonin both disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

After a couple hours of practice, Ryo had the basics of the Raikiri down. It would just be a matter of practicing the technique to get it fully mastered. That's the beauty of shadow clones though. They help with mastering jutsu incredibly. _'I'm glad that shadow clones are so useful. Despite yesterday's performance, I'm going to have a lot of work to do. I've got to improve on that Yoton jutsu. I completely destroyed the facility, but I used way too much chakra. I guess being trapped in that tank screwed up my chakra control. The additions of both the curse seal and Seiryu's chakra probably didn't help in that regard,' _Ryo thought.

After training, they went back inside the house. Rin was awake now and had breakfast ready. "Good morning, Rin. Thanks so much, for taking care of Naruto last night."

"Good morning to you two. Oh, no problem Ryo. I knew you needed your rest more than anyone. Anyway, I figured you two were having an early morning training session. Now, set down and eat, before the food gets cold." All three of us sat down to eat breakfast. Ryo ate his breakfast in silence, with the weight of everything that had happened plaguing his mind. He had just finished breakfast and was helping Rin with the dishes, while Kakashi watched Naruto for a few minutes, when an ANBU appeared summoning him to the Hokage's office. Ryo wondered what it could be about, but he was expecting it to happen.

"I'm sorry you two. It looks like I have to go see what the Hokage wants." They just nodded, as he walked out the door and started jumping roofs to get to the Hokage Tower.

(Ten minutes later: in the Hokage's office)

Ryo entered the Hokage's office, with his mind all a jumble, "You wanted to see me, Hokage-sama." Ryo glanced around the room and noticed that all of the clan heads stood in attendance as well.

The old man smiled and said, "Yes, Ryo, we have a lot to talk about. Sit down please."

Ryo sat down quietly and prepared to listen.

"Now then, I have informed the Clan Heads of your predicament. They know all about the genetic experiment you were put through. We couldn't identify any others, but we were able to confirm the presence of the four Hokage's DNA, as well as Madara Uchiha's DNA."

Ryo's face fell, "So we have no idea what all was done to me?"

"No, I'm afraid not," the Sandaime stated sadly.

"Excuse me Hokage-sama, I have an idea," said Shikaku Nara. The Hokage nodded for him to go ahead. "Ryo, have tried to do anything with your bones?"

Ryo looked at him incredulously, "Why on earth would I try to do something with my bones?"

Inoichi Yamanaka caught on to his friends thinking and said, "He's talking about the bloodline limit called the dead bone pulse. The members of the Kaguya Clan were able to have absolute control over their bones. It was quite a deadly ability."

The Hokage looked at Ryo, "Why don't you try it, Ryo?"

Ryo sighed, "Okay, I guess I can try." He focused his chakra into the bones in his arms, and bone spike extended out of his arms in all directions. After a few moments, he willed them back to their original position.

"So, how did it feel?" the Hokage asked.

"It'll definitely take some getting used to. It took a huge amount of concentration to do it. I'll have to work on it. In my opinion, it would only be useful, if the user could do it as easily as breathing."

"Still, you did well Ryo. Now, we need to move on to other matters. The Clan Heads wish to speak to you about something."

Ryo turned his attention to the Clan Heads. Tsume Inuzuka spoke, "Ryo, the village owes a huge debt to the Yondaime. Furthermore, you have Senju blood in your veins. If anything were to happen to Tsunade, you would become the Clan Heir. In essence, you carry the blood of all our past Hokage's. We see them all in you. We wish to honor their memory, by teaching you our clan techniques. Furthermore, you have already proven yourself worthy of such an honor, by showing your metal in the most important way. You have shown your determination to see that Minato's son has a chance at a normal life."

The Hokage turned to Fugaku Uchiha, "Don't you have something to add, Fugaku?"

The Uchiha Clan Head nodded, "Ryo, you carry the blood of Madara Uchiha. That makes you a direct descendent of the founder of our clan. The man was strange. He was our most brilliant prodigy, but he was also the most insane member of the clan. He betrayed his clan and the village, when he was not chosen to lead it. However, it doesn't change all he did for our clan, before that. Ryo, I have been trying for years to move our clan beyond that unhappy past, but the elders have fought me, just as the Hyuga elders have fought Hiashi's wishes for change. In you, I see a chance for a better future. By carrying the blood of both the Uchiha and Senju Clans, you could bridge the gap that has existed for several generations. I will teach you the Uchiha techniques myself. They are your right, after all."

Ryo got lost in his thoughts for a moment. This was a lot to take in.

"Are you alright, Ryo?" The Hokage sounded worried. He had good reason to be. In a matter of about two weeks, Ryo's whole life has been turned upside-down.

Ryo snapped out of his thoughts quickly. "Yes, Hokage-sama, I'll be fine. So many things are happening so fast, and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. That's all," Ryo got serious. "Before I agree to this, I have one question. Does anyone else know about this?"

He gave me a look of understanding. "No Ryo, we are keeping in very low-key."

Ryo breathed a sigh of relief, "Then I accept their offer then. I need to get back to form anyway."

The next to speak up was Shikaku Nara. The Nara Clan head was famous in Konoha for his brilliant intellect. "As troublesome as it is, it has been decided by unanimous decision that you will go through training in the clan techniques of each of our clans. We had a drawing that would determine the order of training. Shibi Aburame drew number one, so you will go with him, when the meeting is over. After your training with him is completed, you will move on to the Inuzuka, the Uchiha, the Nara, the Akimichi, and the Yamanaka. If you work hard, you should be able to learn everything in a few years. Considering we're talking about six clans here, that will be some accomplishment."

Quite frankly, Ryo didn't feel like arguing, so he just went along with it. "Okay, I'm ready whenever you are Shibi-san."

"If you don't have anymore questions, we can leave now." He stood up, and Ryo followed him out.

(Ten minutes later: at the Aburame Compound)

Shibi-san led Ryo to a room, and told him to lie on a table and relax. He and several others walked in with several containers, holding many different kinds of insects. "Alright Shibi-san, how does this work exactly?"

He turned to Ryo and started his explanation, "It's simple. You will stay in that position and relax your mind. We will release many kinds of insects and see which type bonds with you."

"Will it hurt?" After all he'd been through, he wasn't really afraid of pain. He just wanted to be prepared.

"No, I don't think so. Compared to your experiences recently, you shouldn't feel much of anything."

"Okay, go ahead. I'm ready." Ryo closed his eyes and relaxed his mind.

(Inside Ryo's mindscape)

Ryo opened his eyes and discovered that he was standing in front of Seiryu. "Hey, Seiryu, do you think this will work?"

The huge dragon looked down at him and replied,** "Yes, it should work fine Ryo but just to be certain. I will hold back my chakra and not heal the passages the insects create for themselves."**

Ryo was silent for a moment gathering my thoughts, "Is this a good thing Seiryu?"

"**Yes, it is, Ryo, because I don't want you to ever think that you are invincible, not because of me, or the curse seal, or the many bloodline limits that you have, many of which you can't use in combat yet. You can always improve yourself as a shinobi and as a man. Anyway, you need to get back to the real world now. I will see you later."**

(Back at the Aburame Compound)

"Incredible," someone said.

"What is it? What happened?" Ryo said as he came to.

Shibi Aburame chose to answer the question, "You truly are going to be something special."

"What makes you say that?" The Aburame Clan always acts logical, so, for the clan head to say that, something very unusual must have happened, but Ryo had no idea how unusual it was.

"Ryo-san, you have bonded with preying mantises. That makes you the first mantis user we've had in a long time. The last mantis user died fifty years ago."

"Don't they have to make passages inside my body or something like that?" Ryo asked.

"They already have, Ryo-san. It's just like I said. You were so deep in your meditation that you didn't feel a thing. Now, go home and let your body get accustomed to their presence. By tomorrow, I will have copies made for you of the last mantis user's techniques."

Ryo nodded and headed for the Namikaze Compound.

(Aburame Compound: the next day)

"So, how are you feeling today, Ryo-san?" asked Shibi Aburame.

"I feel fine. It's only been one day, and I don't really notice their coming and going that much. In a week's time, I won't even notice," Ryo responded.

Shibi sat in silence for a few minutes, before thinking of the proper question, "Ryo-san, do know what it means to be an Aburame?"

Ryo thought about it for a moment and shook his head no.

"The Aburame Clan's believe is in symbiosis with nature. Take yourself for example. You are in a symbiotic relationship, with them. They aren't just ordinary bugs though. Like any other insects used by the Aburame Clan, they feed off of chakra. Fortunately for you, you have plenty to spare. Furthermore, they lack the emotions that make human lives complicated. They care about only three things. Those three things, are feeding, reproducing, and protecting their host. They will do what is necessary to accomplish those three goals."

Ryo waxed thoughtful for a moment, "They are governed by logic aren't they?"

The Aburame Clan Head smiled briefly, "Exactly right, Ryo. That is the essence of the clan techniques, working in harmony with your colony. As long as you do, they will not lead you astray."

(Six months later: on the way to the Inuzuka Compound)

After six months of training, Ryo learned all the Aburame techniques and even created a few new ones of his own. _'I know my training keeps me away from home a lot, but_ _I leave shadow clones at home to help with taking care of Naruto and cleaning the house,'_ Ryo thought. He thought about hiring servants to take care of the meals and the cleaning, but, considering Naruto's condition, He wasn't sure who to trust. Most of their friends visited regularly, but most of them are shinobi or kunoichi. They didn't have many civilian friends.

Ryo arrived at the Inuzuka Compound. The gates open and there stands Tsume Inuzuka, like she'd been waiting for him. This training made him the most nervous. It's not because he didn't think he could do it. It's certainly not a fear of hard work. It's because of the way Tsume looks at him every time they see each other. It unnerved him in some way that he couldn't quite explain. He heard a rumor about Inuzuka females going into heat, and it worried him a little. If her husband was still alive, he even wouldn't worry about it. _'Alright Ryo, get yourself together. It's time to do this. Anything she can throw at you, you can handle it.'_

"Good morning, Tsume-san. How are you today?"

"Good morning to you, Ryo. I'm doing really well today. In fact, I'm really excited."

"Why are you excited exactly?" I asked.

She smirked at him. Suddenly, he wished that Rin were here or better yet Kushina-sensei. "Because we're starting your training today," she said. _'When_ _I'm finished with you Ryo Yagami, you'll be even better than me. You'll be the perfect mate,' _Tsume thought to herself.

Ryo stayed lost in his thoughts for a while._ 'She took too long to think about that. She's up to something. I had better be careful.'_

"You're being awfully quiet Ryo. Is something on your mind?"

Ryo came back out of his pondering. "It's nothing, Tsume-san. I'm just thinking about training. That's all."

The two of them entered the Inuzuka kennel. When they entered, a bunch of young pups came running. They came to Tsume first, then to Ryo. Ryo looked up at Tsume, as he kneeled down to pet them. "So what happens now?"

She smirked again. _'I'm getting sick and tired of her smirking at me.' _Ryo glared at her, and as he did one of the dogs seemed to do the same and growl. When this happened, the other dogs ran away, but he stayed growling at the Inuzuka woman.

"Well, that didn't take long. No dog born in our kennel would growl at me, unless he was responding to his partner's feelings, and he's giving me a look that matches your death glare."

"If you wouldn't keep smirking at me like you know something I don't, I wouldn't glare at you."

"I do know something you don't," she paused for dramatic effect, "the clan techniques that you're going to be learning."

"That wasn't what I meant, and you know it." Ryo scowled at her, _'Are all women like this or is it just her?'_

She just kept smirking at him and didn't say anything else, for a while. Finally she spoke again, "So, what are you going to name him?" she asked.

'_She's conveniently changing the subject.' _Ryo rolled his eyes. He thought about her question for a moment. "How about I call him, Rai? It'll go along, with the technique Kakashi taught me, the Raikiri." The dog yelped playfully. Ryo laughed, "You like that do you."

"_It's good to meet you, Ryo. Yes I like the name."_

Ryo's face wore a look of pure shock. He'd heard stories about Inuzuka being able to understand there canine partners, but, somehow, he never really thought it would work for him for some reason.

(Inuzuka Compound: two months later)

Two voices yelled **"Gatsuga."**

Four spinning masses swirled around the training field ripping and clawing at everything within reach. Finally they split off into two pairs, and circled around and headed right for each other. They slammed into each other head on, ripping and tearing at each other, before being sent flying in opposite directions do to the force of the impact.

Crawling from one pile of debris, Ryo stood up. Flanked be his black canine partner, Rai, he started walking toward where the other objects hit. After they had gone a hundred yards or so, they saw Tsume and her partner, Kuromaru, coming toward them. Tsume motioned for them to head towards the house. He nodded and turned towards the house.

They sat on the steps, quietly for several minutes trying to catch their breath after such an intense training session. Tsume looked at the young man that the clan heads had made into their apprentice. He was on a whole other level than most men that she had ever known. It wasn't just raw talent. It was his work ethic. He worked almost tirelessly from the time they started to the time they stopped every day. He had bonded well with his partner.

"Ryo, do you know why I decided to teach you our clan techniques?" Ryo shook his head no and she continued, "It is because you personify the most true and central part of being an Inuzuka. Do you know what that is?"

Ryo waxed thoughtful, "No, I don't Tsume. I could make a few guesses, but I don't really know."

"It is loyalty Ryo. We are loyal to the village and, most importantly, to the Hokage. You have shown intense loyalty to the Yondaime, by caring for his son. Many have a certain amount of loyalty to their sensei, but you have gone above and beyond, what others would have done. It is a great trait to have. If you are as loyal to the village as you are to Minato and to a certain extent Saurutobi, then you will be an incredible asset."

"That depends on what loyalty to the village means. If it means being loyal to every single person in it, then I'm not. I'll kill anyone, who tries to harm Naruto or any of my friends."

Tsume smiled, "Ah, but that is the beauty of it. Sometimes to show true loyalty to the village, you have to save it from itself. If the death of a few crazy fools can convince others not to do such things, then you have performed a great service."

(Six months later: leaving the Inuzuka Compound)

Ryo was on his way home from the Inuzuka Compound. For the last six months, Tsume's been pounding the Inuzuka techniques into Ryo and his partner, Rai. Otherwise, it's been a pretty quiet sense the Kyubi attack. Ryo was sure that the civilian council and the two elders would try something, but, so far, they haven't.

He was drawn out of his thoughts, when he heard Rai growl. "What is it boy?"

Rai started running down the street in the same direction they had been going. _'Oh no, could there be trouble at the house?' _Ryo thought. He followed Rai towards home, only to see a site he never wanted to see. There in front of the Namikaze Estate stood a crowd of villagers. They were mostly civilians, with a few chunins unworthy of there rank, and a few stupid genin mixed in.

He reached down and grabbed Rai and shushined inside the gate. He turned to the crowd right outside the gate and spoke in an angry voice, "What are you idiots doing gathered outside the Namikaze Compound? Get out of here. Go home, before something bad happens to you."

One stupid member of the crowd spoke up, "Bring that demon brat out here, so we can kill it, now."

Ryo turned to him and spoke in an ice cold voice. "Excuse me; I don't think I heard you right. Could you repeat that please?"

They were either really brave or completely brainless, because a minute later about twenty people in the front row shouted, "BRING US THAT DEMON CHILD, SO WE CAN KILL IT, NOW."

"That's what I thought you said. See, you should have gone home, when I told you too. Because, not only did you call my little brother a demon, which would piss me off anyway, but you also violated the law made by the third Hokage. Furthermore, did you know that we own the land that you're standing on as far as about fifteen feet from the gate? That means your also trespassing, not to mention you people, who are all either civilians or shinobi of a lower rank than me, presumed to order me about. Oh, one more thing. Did you know that my sword, Kazeryu, turns blood red, **when I'm really pissed off?" **Ryo said the last part in a demonic voice.

He reached for the hilt of Kazeryu, and drew it out of its sheath, with the blade gleaming blood red. "Let me introduce you to a new technique I've been working on: _Dance of the Dragon._" He flashed right out of site, and the wind started whipping around those idiots in the front row. It was like a miniature tornado that comes out of nowhere, and then vanishes without a trace. When he reappeared, the whole front row fell to the ground completely cut to pieces. He released a large burst of killing intent, causing the rest of the crowd to faint and sent a shadow clone to get the Hokage.

Fifteen minutes later, the Hokage arrived, with a force of ANBU. "Is everyone alright, Ryo?"

"Everyone's fine Hokage-sama. These idiots were trying to break in the front gate, when Rai and I got home. I tried to convince them to leave, but they wouldn't listen. Then they started calling Naruto a demon and demanding I bring him out, so they could kill him. I was more than generous with them. I gave them a chance to take back their comments and leave, but, instead, they decided to shout it at the top of their lungs. I killed the idiots, who said all that stuff and knocked the rest out with a burst of killing intent. The odd thing about it is that most were civilians. They shouldn't even be in the shinobi district, let alone anywhere near the clan houses. Was I out of line on any count, Hokage-sama?"

"No, Ryo, you did well. I'm just glad things didn't get any worse than this." The old Hokage looked down at the corpses lying on the ground and the unconscious members of the crowd. The Hokage turned to the ANBU. "Take these people to Ibiki, and tell him to do whatever it takes to make them talk. I want to know, if someone put them up to this, and clean up this mess."

"Hokage-sama, will the civilian council or the elders cause trouble about this?"

The old Hokage gave Ryo a wide smile. "No, they can't Ryo, because, if they raise a stink, it will only give me the means to accuse them of having something to do with it. It would make them look guilty."

"We've got to do something about them Hokage-sama. I killed Danzo, for what he did, but their almost as bad as he was. Now granted, they are more subtle about it, but they're like a virus that kills off good things slowly or a bunch of weeds that choke out the good plants growing in a garden. They can't be allowed to do as they please."

"I know Ryo. I know."

(One month later: at the Uchiha Compound)

Ryo sets down with Fugaku Uchiha, after an intense training session. Ryo decides now is as good a time as any to ask the question that has been on his mind. "Hey, Fugaku, tell me the truth. Why are you really doing this?"

Fugaku looked at him confused, so Ryo continued, "I know that me having Madara's blood has something to do with it, but that's not the whole story. Why are you really doing this?"

Fugaku sighed, "You've been thinking about this quite a bit haven't you?" Ryo nodded. "Well, there are several reasons far more important than that. That is only the official reason, if anyone of the clan elders starts asking questions. As soon as they hear that you have Madara's blood in your veins, they will stop all their questioning in a hurry. You see, to the Uchiha Clan, that basically makes you like royalty. But I have other reasons that I wish to do this."

"We're the only ones around. Go on."

"Well, the first reason is because Minato was my friend. Minato, Hiashi and I wanted to bridge the gap between the Hyuga and Uchiha clans, but the elders have fought it all the way. Anyway, he believed in you Ryo, but he died before he could complete your training. It is only fitting that, as his friend, I assist with that. But, there is one more reason Ryo. Many of the members of our clan are arrogant. They believe that by simply having the Sharingan that they are unbeatable. This gives them an air of superiority. They have forgotten the value of hard work. I fear that one day our clan will be punished for our arrogance. I have tried to get them to change, before it is too late, but they will not listen to me. My words fall on deaf ears. If such a thing should occur, my hope is that you will keep our bloodline alive but form a new clan and teach them the right way to think and act. Whatever you do, do not give them the Uchiha name. You shouldn't be chained to our fate. Instead, make something new rise from the ashes of the old. That is my primary reason for doing this."

Ryo frowned but said nothing choosing instead to reflect on Fugaku's words.

(Five months later: Nara Compound)

Ryo sat facing Shikaku Nara. They were playing a game of shogi. They had done nothing but play shogi for one whole week, and Ryo was starting to get frustrated. "Shikaku, I thought I was here for training. Why are we playing shogi everyday?"

Shikaku smiled, "But we are training Ryo. I'm training you by having you play against me in shogi."

Ryo looked confused, "Well I don't understand the training then. All I see is me losing to you day after day."

Shikaku chuckled at that, "I see much more than that. You see the essence of shogi is strategy. One can have all the power in the world, but, without good strategy, he will not prevail. You said all you see is yourself losing to me every time we play. I see much more than that. The first time we played, I defeated you easily. However, without even realizing it, you learned something from each match. Each time we play, it gets a little harder for me to win. You see our clan techniques are just like the game of shogi. If used carelessly, they may not be of very much use, but, if you learn to use them at the right strategic moment, they could save your life. Trust me Ryo. I know that you know several assassination techniques, but sometimes it is better to capture your opponent, instead of killing him."

Ryo smirked, "You're not really as lazy as Yoshino-san says, are you? You just get there at your own pace, and have your own way of doing things."

Shikaku smiled, "That is a very good assessment Ryo. Now then, shall we get back to game?"

"Alright, maybe this time I'll win. One can always hope right."

(Seven months later: Akimichi Compound)

Ryo sat with Chouza Akimichi. The Akimichi Clan head had been training Ryo for a little over a month. At first, Ryo had a little trouble, perhaps due to the fact that he isn't really built like an Akimichi, but he started to get it over time.

Chouza looked over at his young pupil, "You have been doing much better Ryo. I knew you could do it. You just had to figure out the proper amount of chakra to use and right form to take. After that, you are coming along, quite nicely."

Ryo looked up at his current teacher, "Thank you sir. I'm glad you didn't give up on me, when I struggled at first."

The Akimichi clan head laughed, "No, you already understand the central belief of the clan, so I knew you could do it."

Ryo looked at him, with a confused look. Chouza saw it and continued, "Ryo, we of the Akimichi Clan are in charge of guarding the wall that surrounds our village. We are guardians. It's in our nature. You may guard a smaller area, when you guard the Namikaze Compound, but you do so with all that you have. You will be fine my young friend."

(Five months later: the Yamanaka Compound)

Ryo sat under a tree meditating, when Inoichi walked up to him. Without opening his eyes, he said, "Good afternoon, Inoichi. What do you need?"

Inoichi smiled, "You truly are a genius Ryo. I have yet to be able to slip up on you even when you're doing your meditation exercises."

"I have had to learn to be very careful, Inoichi. It is hard to slip up on me."

"Ryo, do you know why I have you doing these meditation exercises?"

Without a second thought, Ryo answered, "It's to better understand my own mind, isn't it?"

Inoichi smiled, "Yes that is correct. You see, we of the Yamanaka Clan are mind walkers, but, to be able to truly master our techniques, you must be at peace with yourself. There are times, when you will need to interrogate someone, and you won't always be in the village. Our techniques give you the means to do so. That is the function we serve, but you must be able to calm yourself no matter how angry or hurt you may feel. That is why I gave you these meditation exercises. You have responded to them better than I thought you would. You will need to continue doing them a little each day, but I believe you are ready to start the training."

(Six months later: on my way home)

Ryo hoped that the villagers would get the message, from his little display in front of the Namikaze Compound, but the attempts on Naruto's life kept happening. By Naruto's third birthday a couple of weeks ago, Kakashi, Rin, and Ryo have had to kill at least two hundred people. Fortunately, not everyone sees Naruto as the 'demon brat.' It's not as good as it could be, but it's not as bad either. Maybe it helps that he's the son of the Yondaime, at least in some people's eyes. Anyway, after three years of hard training, he'd finally finished learning all they wanted him to.

Ryo was walking home, along with Rai. It was pretty late. He wasn't expecting to run into many people. Most people are either at home already or at the bars in town. He noticed Rai stop and sniff the air.

"What is it, Rai?"

"_I smell blood on the wind."_

"Lead me to the source Rai?" Rai howled and took off down the street. Ryo followed keeping pace with his canine companion. Rai ran ahead, until he came to an alley. He stopped and pointed at the alley.

Ryo slipped up to the alley and looked inside. What he saw shocked him, there were five grown men surrounding two little girls, who looked to be about ten years old. He stood quiet for a moment listening to their conversation.

The first man spoke, "Well look what we have here boys. They might give us some fun for a while."

The second put in his two cents, "Yeah, they'll be fun. Let's have our way with them." The five men shared an evil laugh.

Outside the alley, Ryo had heard everything, _'Those dirty, rotten, bastards. How could they do this? I'll teach them what happens to grown men who try to rape young girls.'_

Without a word, Ryo disappeared in swirl of water. The men started to move toward the two girls. However, they never got within reach. Ryo appeared behind them and made a huge sweeping slash, with his sword decapitating the first. Without stopping, he ducked under the knife thrust by the second and came back up grabbing him by the neck and twisting. The man fell down dead instantly. The third turned to reach for the girls, only to feel Kazeryu thrust through his chest. The other two stabbed into Ryo from behind only to see him turn into water. Ryo appeared behind them and made two quick slashes cutting the final two in half and ending the confrontation.

He turned to the two girls and smiled, "It's over now. Those guys won't try to hurt you or anyone else ever again." They looked up at him, with eyes full of tears. He kneeled down to the two ten year olds and wrapped his arms around them, while they cried.

When they had cried enough, Ryo spoke up, "Why were those guys harassing you anyway."

The first girl looked at me. She had purple shoulder length hair tied up in a strange ponytail and brown eyes. She sighed, "My name's Anko Mitarashi. I was the apprentice of that snake-bastard, Orochimaru. Since he betrayed the village, everyone thinks I will too. They don't know anything. I hate his guts for what he did to me."

Ryo looked at her in confusion, "What do you mean 'what he did to you'?" He looked at her and noticed that she had a small cut on her arm. He did a few hand seals, and his hands glowed green. He put his hands over the wound and focused his chakra. The cut healed quickly, because it wasn't very deep. He then looked back at her, as she showed him what she was talking about.

She tilted her head showing him the left side of her neck. He looked and saw something he never wanted to see on anyone else, the curse seal.

He looked at the young girl, with a look of compassion. "I understand what you mean better than you know. That bastard did the same thing to me." He tilted his head, so that she could see his own curse seal. "Don't worry. I'll think of some way to help you."

He turned to look at the other girl. "Who are you? How did you get mixed up in all this?"

The second girl had long black hair that went a little past her shoulders and unusual red eyes. "My name is Kurenai Yuuhi. I'm one of Anko's only friends. We have no parents, and we share a two bedroom apartment. If we didn't live together, we wouldn't be able to afford the place."

Ryo nodded his head in understanding. "Alright, how far is this place from here?"

"It's about four blocks from here," Anko said.

"Okay, I'm going to walk you home. From now on, you need to be home, before it gets dark, because that's when all the lowlifes come out. Now, come on let's get you indoors, before something else happens. One more thing, I need to let you know that the Hokage may call you to his office to ask you about what happened. If he does, just tell him the truth about what you saw." They both nodded, and he started walking with them down the streets. When they reached the small apartment, he went inside to check and see, if there was any sign of anyone breaking in. When he found none, he wished them a goodnight and excused himself.

He went to the Hokage's office to speak with him about what had happened. He walked them upstairs and knocked on the door. "Come in," came from inside.

He walked into the Hokage's office, with a serious look on his face. "Hokage-sama, we've got to talk." He nodded and put up a silence seal. "I was on my way home, when my dog Rai smelled blood. We followed the blood to an alley, where we found five men preparing to rape two young girls. I killed them and escorted the two girls to their home, after questioning them about what happened."

"I see. Well done Ryo. I'm glad that you got their in time."

"So am I, Hokage-sama. I noticed one more thing. The one named Anko had a curse seal, just like me, but, unlike my case, it isn't perfected or purified. I'm going to try to find something I can do for her, but I'm going to need time. In the meantime, we need to assign them a bodyguard."

The Hokage nodded, "Yes, we can do that. Now, I'm glad that you came by tonight. I have something to talk to you about." I nodded to let him know that I was listening. "Ryo, the truth is I'm in need of an ANBU captain, and you have been nominated to be brought into ANBU to fill the position."

"Isn't that strange for someone to be brought into ANBU, without taking the entrance test? And, isn't it even stranger to bring someone in to be a captain?"

The Hokage chuckled, "Yes, normally, it would by very strange, but you are a special case. Almost everyone in ANBU has recommended you, even many of the ones, who could have been considered for the promotion. Now, do you accept?"

"Very well, I accept."

The Hokage smiled, "Good, here is your ryu mask and uniform. Neko, come in here please." An ANBU came into the office and stood beside me. "She will be your second-in-command. Now go home and get some sleep. You have a busy day ahead of you."

Ryo smiled and shushined away, appearing in front of the Namikaze Compound. He went straight to his room and went to sleep, oblivious to the fact that something horrible was soon to occur.

(One week later)

The talk of the town was the ambassador from Kumo here to sign a treaty with Konoha. Ryo spent almost the entire day in his ANBU uniform guarding the Hokage, during the proceedings. The treaty had been signed that day. There was a big public ceremony. It went well, or so he thought.

Ryo changed to his street clothes, once he was off duty. He was walking toward the house, when he heard shouting from the Hyuga Compound. He raced to see what the trouble was, when he saw a man dressed in black leap over the wall to the compound carrying a small girl. He hadn't actually got to see his little sister, after what happened, but it wasn't hard to figure out, who the man was carrying. Ryo raced down the street, gaining on the man. When he was close enough, he blurred out of sight, appearing right in front of the man. The man couldn't see him in the dark and ran right into his fist. The man jumped back as soon as he felt Ryo's fist touch his skin dropping the girl in the process. Ryo grabbed her up before she could touch the ground.

The man glared at Ryo, through the eye holes in his mask. "I don't know who you are, but give me the girl, and I'll let you leave alive."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA," Ryo laughed a sadistic laugh that would chill most people's bones. Then he spoke in possibly the coldest voice he had ever used, "I don't know, who you are, and, frankly, I don't care. If you think I'm going to just let you have this girl, you're the biggest idiot to ever live. Also, if you think you're walking away from this, you've got to be a complete fool." Ryo flashed through a familiar series of hand signs, while a shadow clone held Hinata. In a moment, the sound of birds chirping could be heard all around. Ryo lifted his hand with lightning crackling all around. He flashed out of sight and appeared right in front of the startled man. **"Raikiri,"**Ryo said jabbing the jutsu right into the man's chest point blank. He reached up with his free hand and pulled off the mask. It was the ambassador from Kumo. In a rage, he powered up a **Rasengan **and shoved itthrough the ambassador's face for good measure, before he let him fall to the ground.

Ryo felt the girl stir a little in his grip. She was crying. "Shh," Ryo said as he held her to his chest, so she wouldn't see the dead body lying in the street. "You're safe now. The bad man can't hurt you anymore." She cried on his shoulder, for a few minutes, before she fell asleep. He walked up the road carrying her, until he ran into Hiashi and Hizashi.

"She's okay. She's just sleeping," Ryo said as he handed her to Hiashi.

"Who was the perpetrator?" Hiashi asked.

"It was the ambassador from Kumo, but don't worry about him. I put a **Raikiri**right through his chest and a **Rasengan **rightthrough his head. He can't come after her again."

"Ryo, I know it's late, but we need to talk, preferably somewhere private."

"Okay, come to the Namikaze Compound. We can talk in my study."

"Let me get Hitomi." Ryo nodded and shushined away.

(Ten minutes later: Namikaze Compound)

Ryo opened the door letting his father, his uncle and his mother, who was carrying Hinata, into the house. "Excuse me Rin, could you take care of Hinata please? We need to speak with Ryo." Rin did as Hitomi asked. Ryo led them upstairs to the room that he had turned into his study, which was right beside his bedroom.

"Alright, this room is about as secure as anywhere. You can speak freely here." Ryo turned to face his parents and uncle. His parents look so much more weary than they did just three years ago.

"This is not easy to admit, but we believe the Hyuga elder council had something to do with the kidnapping attempt." Ryo's face paled at this new revelation.

"Why would they do that? She's the clan heir, isn't she?" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Well, you see, I know she is very young, but she shows some signs of being kind like your mother. The elders fear she will be too weak to be the heir. They also compare her to you quite frequently."

"**So they just arrange for her to be kidnapped," **Ryo growled out in a demonic voice, **"I'm going to go kill those old fossils right now."**

"Wait, Ryo. As much as you may want to, you can't do that. We may suspect the elders are involved, but we lack the proof to accuse them, let alone execute them."

'_As always, mother has to be the reasonable one. However, I'm not feeling very reasonable at the moment,' _Ryo thought to himself.

"Ryo, listen too me." He turned his attention to his father. "We can't let you punish them right now, but we can give you the ability to protect Hinata."

"I'm listening," Ryo said. He wanted to just go and turn those old fossils into ash, but he decided that he would be patient for now, if they have a plan.

"We want you to take in Hinata, for safekeeping. This plan has three functions. First, if they try to take her by force, you can protect her, even to the point of killing. Second, it will give her and Naruto a chance to bond from a young age. Third, it gives us an excuse to visit our son, when we come to visit her, and no one will be the wiser."

Ryo's expression changed from a deep scowl to slight grin. He finally got a chance to stick it to those old fools. "Alright, she can stay with us, for as long as necessary. The three of us can look after her, and she can spent time with Naruto. But, you better find some incriminating evidence to get rid of those old fossils."

They left his study and went to the living room, where Hiashi and Hitomi told Hinata that she'd be staying here for her own safety. "We wish there was some other way, but this is the only way to protect you Hinata. We trust Ryo, Kakashi, and Rin to keep you safe. We will visit you as often as we can." Hinata cried a little, but she seemed to understand. Ryo took Hinata to her room, leaving Kakashi and Rin sitting in the living room.

"I hope Ryo's alright. This is a really bad situation to be in," Rin said with a sad expression on her face.

"He's a strong man, Rin, but he's going to need some support. Why don't you go talk to him? I think he's had long enough to adjust, and you're a woman now. I don't see any problem."

"You really think now's the time, Kakashi," she said.

"If not now, when? When will the right time be? I keep trying to get one of you to make a move, but you always seem to come up with some excuse. I often wonder if you're trying to convince me or yourselves. Sometimes, you just have to stop thinking and just do it. If you don't, you'll look back on it someday and regret that you didn't even try."

"Wow, Kakashi, you really sound like you know what you're talking about, for once." She thought about it for a moment. "Alright, I'm going to talk to him, tonight."

Kakashi eye smiled, "That's all I ask. This is going to sound weird coming from me, especially considering the books I read, but the two of you don't have to go all the way right now. You just need to put your feelings out there. Good luck."

She turned and headed up the stairs.

Ryo stood out on his balcony looking up at the stars. He was trying to wrap his mind around this whole crazy situation. He couldn't help but think about his parents. He pitied them, because it seems like they've always got to give up their children to protect them from the elders. It happened three years ago with him, and now it's happening again with Hinata. He was also angry at Kumo. If he ever got his hands on the idiot, whose idea it was to try to kidnap her, he would kill them in the cruelest way possible. He was interrupted out of his thoughts by a knock at the door.

"Come in. The door's open." Rin walked in, with a serious look on her face.

"Ryo, we need to talk." The tone she spoke in told him that it wasn't a request.

"What do we need to talk about, Rin?"

"You know what. We need to talk about us." Ryo groaned inwardly, knowing what she wanted.

'_Well, I guess it's a good thing. We can only put it off, for so long,' _Ryo thought to himself.

"Listen Ryo, I have waited patiently, and I've been as understanding as I can with your situation. I know all that freaky stuff happened to you. I've given you your space, but now, things have changed. Well, I've changed now too. I've grown up and matured. I know, if the council ever finds out about all the bloodlines that you have, that you'll be subjected to the CRA yourself, but there is one thing that will never change. I love you Ryo Yagami. I've always loved you. I'm not asking for everything to happen right away. I just want you to acknowledge me, as more than a teammate or a friend."

Ryo studied her for a moment. She had finally said the words that they'd both been too afraid to say. He knew in his heart that this was the time to man up and give her the answer she truly deserves. "Rin, I've wanted to talk to you for so long. I had planned to tell you how I felt, when we were supposed to meet that day, but then I was kidnapped by Root and couldn't make it. Then I went through the physical changes, and I thought people would speak ill of our relationship. I know these words are completely overdue, but I have to say them. I love you Rin." Ryo pulled her close to him and pressed his lips against hers softly. It was a chaste first kiss, but it was enough for now. He held her close to him, simply enjoying each other's company. He sat on the bed, and she sat next to him. They talked for hours, until she rolled towards him and put her head on his chest. She fell asleep in seconds. He wrapped his arms around her protectively and fell into a dreamless slumber himself.

(The next morning)

Ryo woke up early. Rin was still sleeping, so he just lay there quietly, until she woke up. He thought about how even these small steps would change things. She began to stir in her sleep. He watched as her eyes fluttered open.

"Good morning, Rin. Did you sleep well?" He smirked at her as he spoke.

She gathered her thoughts for a moment finally realizing where she slept last night. She smiled back at him. "Yes, very well, thank you." Ryo kissed her softly one more time, before she got up allowing him to as well. He went to his bathroom to take a shower and get ready for the day, while she went to her own room to do the same.

Fifteen minutes later, he came out fully dressed, to find his subordinate, Neko, waiting for him.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Captain, but I have a message from the Hokage."

Ryo stared at her for a moment. Shaking his head, he said, "At ease, Neko. Now, what's this about a message from the Hokage?"

"Oh right. Tsume Inuzuka and Inoichi Yamanaka have requested an audience with you. They said they have something important to discuss with you. As such, you don't have to come in to attend to your ANBU duties until later. Also, I will aid Rin in watching the children, while you have your meeting with the two clan heads."

"That's fine. When will they be here?"

"The Hokage arranged for the meeting to be in a couple hours. That will give you time to have breakfast and get your thoughts together."

"Did the Hokage happen to tell you what this is about?"

"No, he only told me that it was important."

"Alright, you're dismissed." She exited the room, while Ryo's mind pondered on what they could want.

Ryo exited his room and went down to breakfast. When he got there, he saw Naruto chatting with Hinata. After a few minutes, Naruto noticed Ryo and ran up to him, with a broad smile on his face. "Ryo-niisan, guess what?"

Ryo smiled at the young boy, "What's going on Naruto?"

"Hina-chan's my new best friend. We're going to do everything together. Isn't that right Hina-chan?" Ryo looked up at the pale-eyed girl, as she nodded shyly. "See, it's going to be great."

Ryo laughed, "I'm very happy for you Naruto. I'm glad you finally have a friend your own age." Ryo chuckled, as Naruto ran back to sit beside Hinata and started chattering away.

'_Well, that's nice. At least that's something that's going right,' _Ryo thought sadly.

(Two hours later: the Main Gate of the Namikaze Estate)

Ryo walked out to the gate about two hours later. There waiting for him were the two clan heads.

"Good morning, Tsume, Inoichi, it's good to see you both this morning."

"Yes, it is a very good morning." Tsume smirked at Ryo, although her eyes gave away some type of despair that Ryo's eyes caught.

He turned to Inoichi, trying to convince himself that it was nothing. Even though he'd only been a member of ANBU for a short time, it has helped me to control his emotions a little better. "It's good to see you, Inoichi-san." Ryo reached out and shook his friend's hand.

"So, what can I do for you this morning?" He wanted to get right to the point.

"Can we speak someplace private, Ryo?" Inoichi said. He nodded and led them into the house and up to the fourth floor, where his study is. He held the door open for his guests. Then he entered and closed the door shut and activated the silence seal.

Ryo went and sat at his desk, facing the two clan heads. They sat in the chairs across from Ryo and waited for Ryo to speak. "Now, I'll ask again. What can I do for you?"

The two looked at him, with serious looks on their faces. Inoichi was the first to speak. "This concerns the fate of the Namikaze Clan. We know that you will be invoking the CRA for Naruto to restore the clan. We've been doing some talking, and we've come to a decision. We want to help with that. We both owe so much to Minato. We want to see his clan revived."

Ryo sat there listening intently to what they had to say. Tsume was the next to speak. "We each have two copies of a marriage contract. Mine is for my daughter, Hana. Inoichi's is for his daughter, Ino. With his father dead and his mother missing, you are the caretaker of the Namikaze Clan and all that goes with it. We want you to sign them. We have already."

Ryo sat in silence for a minute. "I'll address you one at a time. Inoichi, you're first. Honestly, I was kind of expecting this. So, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to sign these and give one back to you and keep one for myself. However, I hope that this is only a formality, and they develop feelings for each other on their own." Ryo reached out and took the documents from Inoichi. He signed them both and gave one back to him. "Now, if you don't mind Inoichi, I would like to speak to Tsume alone please." Inoichi nodded and let himself out.

After replacing the silence seal, Ryo turned his attention to Tsume. "Alright Tsume, what's really going on?"

She looked at him, with a confused expression, "I don't know what you mean."

Ryo shook his head in disappointment, "Your smirk wasn't the same this morning. Inoichi didn't catch it, but I did. Tell me what's really bothering you?"

"It's nothing for you to worry about, really."

Ryo thought about things for a moment. He picked up the documents and looked them over for a moment. "Everything seems to be in order, but are you sure about this? Hana is three years older, you know."

"That won't be a big deal. I'm sure they can overcome a small gap like that." She said with a little too much hope in here eyes, and Ryo caught it. Suddenly, he had a plan.

"It sounds like you're hoping rather hard," Ryo paused for dramatic effect. He picked up the documents and walked towards the fireplace. "There is something you're not telling me. You know, maybe I should burn these."

Her hand shot out towards mine, before I could move another inch, "Please don't. Those papers are vitally important to my daughter's safety and happiness."

Ryo smirked inwardly, "Go on. I'm listening."

She sighed, "Alright, I'll tell you everything. It's like this. Some of the members of the civilian council are always trying to get my daughters hand. I know in my heart that they don't care about Hana at all. They just want to increase their own power, by having one of their sons marry into a clan. Now, I know that Minato Namikaze was an Alpha, if there ever was one. If Naruto is anything like him, he'll be the perfect mate for Hana. Also, the civilian council is scared to death of you. If you sign those documents, you are essentially putting my daughter under your protection, even if she doesn't live under this roof yet."

Ryo walked back towards the desk and promptly signed the papers. He turned and smiled at her, "I was always going to sign the papers Tsume. I just wanted you to trust me enough to tell me the truth. Don't you remember the speech you gave me about the Inuzuka's loyalty? Well, that loyalty works both ways. I got your back. If they bother you anymore, come and tell me. I'll take care of it."

Tsume smiled her first genuine smile of the day. Ryo walked over to her and gave her a hug, hoping to comfort her, if only for a few moments. It was ironic. Normally, she's as high strung as anyone, but today, she's just a mother afraid for her child. _'Everything will be alright Tsume. You'll see.'_

(A Couple months later)

Ryo Yagami exited the mansion early on a Monday morning. He walked down the road heading toward the main road. His destination was the Hokage Tower. He had something of importance to speak to the Hokage about. Two days ago, he remembered something, and he was going to talk to the Hokage about it.

He arrived at the Hokage Tower, knowing the Hokage would already be there. He walked up the stairs and right past the secretary. Ryo was one of the few, who had unlimited access to the Hokage's office. He knocked on the door and, upon hearing the Hokage say "Enter," he walked into the office.

The Hokage looked up from the large stack of paperwork on his desk to see Ryo walk in wearing his usual uniform. The Hokage smiled at one of his most loyal shinobi, "Good morning Ryo. What can I do for you this morning?"

"Good morning to you too Hokage-sama," Ryo paused a moment to gather his thoughts. "Sir, I've been doing some thinking, and I remember something that Minato-sensei had told me before I was kidnapped and experimented on five years ago. He told me that Jiraiya and Tsunade were supposed to be Naruto's godparents, and I completely forgot all about it. Now, before you say anything, I'm not looking to dump this off on them and go on like none of this ever happened. I can't do that. I just think that they should come visit him once in a while. Maybe, they could teach him some things, when he gets a little older. That's all. So, what do you think?"

The Hokage looked at Ryo oddly, "That sounds like a good idea to me, but there is one thing I don't understand."

Ryo raised an eyebrow, "What's not to understand?"

"What do you need me to do?"

Ryo suddenly understood what he had forgotten to say, "Oh right, I need you to send the letters as soon as I write them. I've never signed a summoning contract, so I have no way to reach them."

"Is that all?"

"Well, I do have one more question. Will they recognize the name Ryo Yagami or do I need to sign it with my old name?"

The Hokage smiled, "Yes Ryo, I informed the two of them of what happened to you. They will know who's speaking to them."

"Good, just give me a few minutes to write the letters." The old Hokage simply nodded. Ryo sat down and wrote both letters in about fifteen minutes. He handed them to the Hokage. The Hokage summoned two small monkeys handed them the scrolls containing Ryo's letters and sent them on their way.

(Somewhere in Earth Country)

A man wearing a red vest, gray shinobi pants, and wooden getas was peeking inside a hot springs bath, when a monkey appeared carrying a scroll.

"**Hey mister, are you Jiraiya of the Sanin?"**

The man turned to look at the little creature. Upon seeing one of his sensei's summons, he nodded his head yes.

"**Good, here's a letter for you. The old man told me to deliver it to you."**

He handed him the letter and went back to the summon realm. Jiraiya opened the scroll and began to read the message.

_To Jiraiya of the Sanin _

_I was told by my sensei, Minato Namikaze, that he and his wife, Kushina Uzumaki, named you the godfather of his son, Naruto. I have been taking care of Naruto, along with my teammates, Kakashi Hatake and Rin Inuzuka. Now, I know all about your spy network and all the important things you do for the village. I don't want you to think that I want you to come and take over for us. We're doing just fine on our own. We will keep on protecting Naruto, at least until Kushina is found. However, I do think that you can spare a little time to come visit Naruto, once in a while. I'm a patient man. However, if this message is ignored, I'll confiscate every single copy of Icha Icha Paradise and I'll tie you to a tree, with chains that drain your chakra, and I'll burn every copy of your books, including the original manuscripts._

_Signed _

_Minato's first apprentice_

_Ryo Yagami_

Jiraiya visibly gulped. _'I better be careful. Sensei has sent me messages about how much Ryo has improved. He might actually follow through on his threat.'_

(Tanzaku Town)

Tsunade and Shizune were checked into a hotel room getting ready to go to bed for the night, when a small monkey popped into the room carrying a scroll.

"**Hey lady, you're Tsunade aren't you?" **She nodded her head at the question. **"Good, I have this scroll for you." **He handed her the scroll to read and said, **"Have a nice evening."**

After he disappeared, she turned her attention to the scroll. She opened it and started to read.

_To the slug princess, Tsunade Senju,_

_I have remembered something important. You see my sensei, Minato Namikaze, told me that he and his wife, Kushina Uzumaki, named you the godmother of their son, Naruto. Now my two teammates and I are caring for him, at least until his mother is found. I'm not asking you to take care of Naruto, but I do think it is your duty to come visit him, at least. Now, I understand that you have lost loved ones, and I feel for you. I really do, but that is no excuse for shirking on your responsibilities. You have to learn to let go and stop living in the past. Live in the present and try to find something new to live for. I consider myself an understanding man. I will give you some time to think about this. However, that time does have a limitation. If you ignore my request, I will burn down every single bar and gambling house in all the elemental nations. Both of those things are vices anyway. Neither of them is beneficial to a person's mind or body, and you demean yourself every time you participate in such things. Besides, I have been told that you are remarkably bad at gambling. All that leads to is heavy debt._

_Signed _

_Minato's First Apprentice_

_Ryo Yagami_

Tsunade's face got pale as a ghost. _'Is this true? Minato had a child and he chose me to be its godmother. Everything Ryo said was true. I've been running away. I've got to get myself back together. I let the drinking and the gambling become a crutch. Well no more. I'm going to change starting now.'_

She turned to Shizune, "We're going to start heading towards Konoha soon Shizune. I've been away for too long."

The brunette smiled, "Tsunade-sama, we can go home."

The blonde medic nodded her head in the positive. "Yes, it's time to stop running away."

(Two years after the kidnapping attempt)

Ryo was sitting in the living room of the Namikaze Compound. It was his day off, so he was watching Naruto and Hinata, while Kakashi was on duty and Rin was at the hospital. It had been a quiet day, until a messenger hawk appeared at the window.

Ryo opened the message and started to read.

_Ryo_

_Fugaku Uchiha is on his way to speak with you. He says that it's very urgent._

_Signed _

_Hiruzen Saurutobi_

Ryo put down the letter and made several shadow clones to take the kids out to the gardens and watch them. He walked out and saw Fugaku already standing there waiting. Ryo opened the gate and let him in.

"Hey Fugaku, how are you today?" Ryo asked. When he didn't get an answer, he looked at the clan head. He looked really worn down, since the last time Ryo saw him.

"What's wrong Fugaku?"

"Can we go inside to talk?" Fugaku finally said.

A look of understanding dawned on Ryo's face, "Oh yes, of course, come right this way." He led Fugaku into the living room and they sat down in chairs facing each other.

Fugaku reached into his robe and pulled out a scroll. "Here Ryo, I've been working on this for several years. It contains copies of all the scrolls in the Uchiha library. It contains every jutsu we know, every thing we know about the Sharingan, our family history and everything else."

Ryo reached out and took the scroll from Fugaku's hands. "Thank you. I'll do my best to be worthy of this gift."

Fugaku smiled weakly, "Ryo, I have to ask you something. If I ask you to do something, would you do it? I mean, if it was really important, would you help me?"

Ryo responded, "As long as what you wanted wasn't something illegal, yes I would."

Fugaku smiled, "I can assure you that this is nothing illegal." He reached into his robe and pulled another scroll. "Ryo do you remember what I told you when I was training you?"

Ryo thought about it for a few moments, "Yes, you said something about fearing that your family was going to suffer for its sins or something like that."

"That is exactly right. I am afraid that time is soon approaching that our family is punished. Four more years have passed, since we had that conversation, and nothing has changed. There is no stopping it now. I give you this scroll. This is contains a letter to you, as well as my final will and testament. If anything happens to me, open it as soon as you can. I am entrusting you with my greatest treasures. Please take care of things. I leave it all in your capable hands."

Ryo took the other scroll, "Isn't there anything we can do to prevent this?"

"No Ryo, I want you to understand something. Do not burden yourself with guilt. Our family's arrogance has brought on its own downfall. Even if we did try to do something, we wouldn't succeed. I may have suspicions, but I have no proof. We can do nothing without proof. However, if you do as I ask in the scroll, it will be more than enough. Goodbye Ryo."

He turned and walked himself out of the house and left Ryo alone, with his thoughts.

(A week later)

Ryo Yagami was awakened, by a tap on his window. He got up out of bed to check it out and found his subordinate, Yugao Uzuki, wearing her ANBU attire and her Neko mask.

"I'm sorry for waking you Captain, but we have a situation. Some members of ANBU were patrolling, just outside the Uchiha district, when they heard screams. They stepped inside and found blood staining all the walls and bodies lying everywhere. I think you need to see it for yourself."

Ryo's eyes got big as saucers. His mind wandered back to what Fugaku had told him only a week ago. He rushed back inside and put on his ANBU attire, before going back out and following Neko.

When he got there, it was worse than he could ever imagine. There wasn't a living soul anywhere, except for the ANBU members checking over the area. The Hokage arrived a few minutes later.

He walked over to Ryo and Neko and asked, "Ryu, state your report."

"It was a massacre sir. So far, we have no idea who did it, and we have yet to find a single survivor."

"Excuse me sir, I think I can answer the question of who did it."

"Go ahead Neko. We're both listening."

She walked up and handed a mask to her Captain. "I'm sorry sir. I know he used to be your friend." Ryo looked down to see her hand him a weasel mask.

"Yes, that does seem to be the case. If we don't find his corpse, it'll pretty much confirm it. If you'll excuse us sir, we're going to check the main house."

Ryo and his subordinate walked in silence toward the Main House. When they got there, the doors were busted in. There was glass all over the floor and a trail of blood leading further into the Compound. The two ANBU followed the trail of blood, until they came to two closed doors. They were about to enter, when they heard someone gasp. Over beside the door was Fugaku's youngest son, Sasuke Uchiha. Ryo put his hand on the boy's neck checking for a pulse. "This one's still alive. Neko take him to the Hokage. He can have one of the others take him to the hospital." She nodded, before picking up the boy and shushining out of site.

Ryo stepped inside the room to see a horrible site. The site was his friend, Fugaku Uchiha, dead. His body had been cut to pieces. Ryo looked at the wounds. They did indeed match Itatchi's katana. _'So I guess that's it. Everything happened, just like Fugaku predicted. I guess now would be the time to see what's in that letter.'_

**Well that's chapter two. This chapter is a little longer than the first. Hopefully, it's not too long. Once again, I welcome constructive criticism, so please review. I changed several things, from the first version.**

**I decided to change the scene with Kurenai and Anko, simply because it left me a shortage of jonin to work with. I don't know if they'll be in the harem or not. A lot of things could play into that like how the story flows, what I feel like doing and what you, the readers, want. I can guarantee that Tenten will be part of the harem. The way he meets her will just be different than the way it was the first time. That scene will probably take place in the next chapter.**

**Ryo's move Dance of the Dragon – first the technique can only be used with Kazeryu. Second it relies more on speed than power. It works like this. The user moves at high speed, while a mini-tornado starts to rip across the battlefield. As the user slices with his sword, blades of wind come off the sword and out of the storm itself creating a vortex that literally cuts the opponent to shreds.**

**Also I want to point out that Naruto will have a bigger part in the next chapter, when he's a little older. **

**If any of you have any jutsu for the characters, you're welcome to submit them. I'll give you credit for it. Just describe it too me and tell me, who you think should have it. I will come up with several of my own, but I welcome help in that department.**

**I still need you to tell me what you think I should do with Sakura. Should she be part of the harem or just a friend? I need to know, because I have to write it different depending on what most of the readers want.**


End file.
